Ticket stacker

ABSTRACT

A ticket stacker comprising a plurality of walls for positioning a ticket therebetween and a plurality of fibers supported by said walls in a manner to hold in a stacked fashion a plurality of tickets forced into the stacker.

United States Patent 191 Napoleone. et a1.

[ TICKET STACKER [75] Inventors: Nunzio Napoleone, Wellesley; Alan A M. Swett, Milton, both of Mass.

[73]- Assignee: Dennison Manufacturing Company,

Framingham, Mass.

221 Filed: Jan. 3, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 214,827

[52] 11.8. C1. 214/6 BA, 271/87 [51] Int. Cl. 1. 365g 57/30 [58] Field of Search 271/61 BF, 87;

[56] References Cited I I UNITED STATES PATENTS I Schmermund et a1. 214/6 BA X 3,040,862 6/1962 2,928,672 3/1960 Johnson et a1 271/61 X 2,133,260 10/1938 Wolff 21/6 BA Nov. 13, 1973 6/1946 Braun 271/61 X Bornemann 271/87 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 671,014 10/1964 Italy 214/6 BA 409,761 10/1966 Switzerland ..214/6 BA Primary Examiner-Robert J. Spar Att0rneySewall P. Bronstein et a1.

[57] v. 7 ABSTRACT A ticket stacker comprising a plurality of walls for po- 'sitioning a ticket therebetween and a plurality of fibers supported by said walls in a manner to hold in a stacked fashion a plurality of tickets forced into the stacker.

2 vClaims, 7 Drawing Figures PAIENTEnunv 13 m5 IACTUATQR L ill FIG]

FIGS

TICKET STACKER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention is directed to a new and improved stacker for receiving and storing tickets such as coded tickets placed on clothing or the like.

Over the years, many types of ticket stackers have been developed for storing tickets forced into the stacker from the bottom thereof. Although such stackers of the prior art have proven to be quite acceptable, there has developed a need for a new, improved and less costly stacker construction.

In order to provide the new and improved stacker of this invention, there is provided new and improved ticket holding means mounted and supported at the mouth of the inside of the guide walls of the stacker, for receiving a ticket and then holding it in place.

The new and improved holding means preferably comprises a plurality of one way fibers, preferably of plastic, which are preferably flexible, and also bendable, and are positioned in such amanner that tickets may be pushed past the fibers by a force applied to a ticket in one direction and then retain the tickets after the pushing force is withdrawn. Most preferably the fibers extend inwardly at an angle of about 20 to 60? from the inner stacker side walls with respect to the inner vertical surface of the guide walls of the stacker.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the stacker of this invention supporting a plurality of tickets therein;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing means for pushing tickets into the stacker; FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the stacker; and FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a ticket being pushed into the stacker with the weight on top of the 4 tickets;

FIG. 5-7 illustrate an end and two sides of a suitable weight for use in the stacker.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT a rotatable turret 14 upon which tickets are carried to the stacker.

The rotatable turret of this invention is essentially of the disc type shown in US. Patent application Ser. No. 56,281 filed July 20, 1970, now US. Pat. No. 3,689,065 which is commonly owned by the assignee of this application. The turret 14 is of the type which carries tickets between various stationsand is preferably of the type which has a plurality of ticket receivers 15 which are shaped such that a pusher 16 comprising pusher members 16a and 16b may pass through holes or cutouts 15a and 15b formed therethrough to push a ticket 11 held by the receiver into and between the stacker walls 10a l0e. The pusher also includes an actuator l7 electrically or vacuum operated, coupled thereto for raisingthe pusher 16 to force a ticket 11 1 into the stacker.

At 18 there is shown ticket holder means which comprises a plurality of one'way fibers 18a and a backing 18b for supporting the fibers much the same as a backing of a carpet.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, holder means 18 are coupled to the inside of walls 10a, 10d and 10s and are positioned at the mouth of the stacker, that is the opening of the stacker positioned closest to the turret 14.

The backing 18b is coupled to the inner walls by an adhesive, such as any general purpose adhesive. The fibers 18a may be of materials such as plastic or rubber and may include materials such .as nylon, phenolics, polystyrene, acrylics or the like. A material known as 3M Brand Fibre-Tran has proven acceptable for use herein as the means 18.

The fibers generally extend inwardly as shown in FIG. 4 with the majority of the fibers preferably extending inwardly from the mouth and being at an angle 0 of 20 60 with respect to the flat vertical surface of the inner side wall from whichit extends, and most preferably at an angle 0 of 30 to 50.

The fibers 18a are of the type which are resilient and will preferably bend upwardly about the point at which they are coupled to the backing 18b and then snap back to support the ticket after the ticket has been pushed into the stacker as shown in FIG. 4.

As the shaping back of the fibers 18a occurs, the tickets are effectively prevented from falling downwardly and out of the stacker by the force of gravity after the pushing force provided by the pushers 16a and 16b is withdrawn. v

The ticket holding means 18 preferably extends from the beginning of the bottom or mouth of the stacker and rises one to two inches above on the walls 10a, 10d and 10s. In addition, the pusher 16 preferably operates to push the tickets above the initial fibers so that a sufficient number of fibers will snap back into position to support the weight of the tickets. In practice, about 5% inch of ticket penetration from the beginning of the fibers has proven sufficient naturally depending upon the weight of the ticket and the number to be stacked one on top of the other.

In FIGS. 4-7 there is shown a weight 20 which may be placed as shown in FIG. 4 to insure that the initial tickets forced into the fibers 18a are properly oriented. The weight includes a pad (e.g. of rubber) as a part thereof for resting on the tickets 11. The weight 20 also includes cutouts 22 and 23 corresponding to members 18a and 18b so that the weight 20 may be positioned as shown in FIG. 4. The stacker wall 10a is provided with a stop member or pin as shown for engaging a stop member or pin 24 of the weight 20. In this manner the weight is initially located within the stacker walls. The weight is used to insure that the first few tickets pushed into the stacker are prevented from skewing and/or misorienting themselves with respect to the fibers 18a. As shown in FIG. 4 the weight moves upwardly as tickets are fed into the stacker.

We claim:

l. A ticket stacker system comprising a plurality of guide wall means open at the bottom, means for receiving tickets between the guide wall means entering through the open bottom, a plurality of pieces of fibers positioned about the inside of portions of at least two opposing sections of the guide wall means beginning at the bottom thereof and extending at least partially up towards the top of the guide wall means, each of said pieces containing a plurality of one way fibers, said fibers extending inwardly from said guide wall means with the majority thereof extending upwardly towards said top, and said fibers permitting tickets to be pushed through the fibers but also preventing tickets after capturing by the fibers from falling downwardly out of the bottom of the stacker, a weight disposed within the confines of the guide wall means and having cut out portions and shaped to permit now cut out portions thereof to extend to said guide wall means and between said pieces of fibers and initially be positioned closely adjacent the bottom and straddle the pieces of fibers to insure that the first few tickets pushed into and received between the opposing pieces of fibers are prevented from skewing and/or misorienting themselves with respect to the fibers, first stop means supported on the inside of said guide wall means, second stop means includes a rubber pad as a part for resting on a ticket. i 

1. A ticket stacker system comprising a plurality of guide wall means open at the bottom, means for receiving tickets between the guide wall means entering through the open bottom, a plurality of pieces of fibers positioned about the inside of portions of at least two opposing sections of the guide wall means beginning at the bottom thereof and extending at least partially up towards the top of the guide wall means, each of said pieces containing a plurality of one way fibers, said fibers extending inwardly from said guide wall means with the majority thereof extending upwardly towards said top, and said fibers permitting tickets to be pushed through the fibers but also preventing tickets afteR capturing by the fibers from falling downwardly out of the bottom of the stacker, a weight disposed within the confines of the guide wall means and having cut out portions and shaped to permit now cut out portions thereof to extend to said guide wall means and between said pieces of fibers and initially be positioned closely adjacent the bottom and straddle the pieces of fibers to insure that the first few tickets pushed into and received between the opposing pieces of fibers are prevented from skewing and/or misorienting themselves with respect to the fibers, first stop means supported on the inside of said guide wall means, second stop means supported by said weight for engaging said first stop means to initially position said weight adjacent the bottom prior to receipt of any tickets between said pieces of fibers, and pusher means for placing tickets between said fibers.
 2. A stacker according to claim 1 in which the weight includes a rubber pad as a part for resting on a ticket. 